Betrayed
by King Henry the V
Summary: During the 4th Succession War, a planet along the KuritaDavion border is taken by a unit from Wolf's Dragoons. It's up to the remaining garrison to take it back, despite being outnumbered 4 to 1.
1. Defense

The Coral Vipers were a small but deadly mercenary unit. Unlike most of their contemporaries, their unit was mostly heavy and assault mechs. And Kurita had hired them to secure the planet.

Roger Lincoln looked up at the MAD-3A _Marauder_. It was his personal mech, inherited from his father. That did not mean he could pilot it. The blue and red monstrosity was 75-tons, a match for any single BattleMech the enemy might throw at him. It was also in disrepair. Access panels lay open, and parts were scattered around the mech bay.

He walked a dozen meters to the right, to the next mech in the hangar. WSP-1A _Wasp_. The only mech available to him. One would think being the planetary governor would give him access to better equipment than a 20-ton scout. This mech was blue, the unpainted medium laser clearly visible at the end of its right arm.

A few weapon hits would knock his machine out of commission, but it was all he had. The planet rated low priority, so reinforcements would be a long time coming. Roger climbed the _Wasp_ and entered the cockpit, sealing it shut behind him. The fusion reactor blasted to life with a low rumble.

"Militia-1, ready to go," he said to himself as all indicators lit green. The diminutive _Wasp_ made its way out of the small hangar. Citizens looked surprised to see the BattleMech wandering the city streets. They probably knew the Coral Vipers were preparing to land outside the city proper. They also knew that Roger Lincoln's 20-ton _Wasp_ stood no chance of survival against a unit that contained both a _Battlemaster_ and an _Atlas_. Nevertheless, he led his mech to the city outskirts to do combat with the enemy.

Xxxxx

The chief tech signaled the flatbed to move back a little bit more. "Stop," he shouted as he held up his hand. Next he signaled the crane operator to begin lifting the MAD-3A. Kurita might have been about to take the planet, but Eli Helm was damned if he was going to allow the Dracs to have such a fine piece of machinery.

Once they managed to fit the _Marauder_ onto the back of the flatbed, Eli and his crew began to tie the thing down.

Xxxxx

There were four of them in the distance. Ill-disciplined, Roger incorrectly surmised. They weren't traveling together, but at each unit's best speed. That meant the most deadly of all mechs, the _Atlas_, would not arrive in time to do combat. However, the _Wolverine_ was still a very real threat. Especially since his _Wasp_ was less than half the mass.

The red and black paint made the BattleMech more fearsome than just its chassis. The machine looked worn, but everything clearly still functioned. As the two mechs approached each other, the _Wolverine_ leveled its right arm at Roger's _Wasp_. The autocannon it held spat to life, sending large caliber rounds at the _Wasp_. Luckily, they missed.

Roger triggered his weapons at the same time the _Wolverine_ fired the rest of his. Medium lasers lanced past one another, damaging the armor of both mechs. Short-Range Missiles passed each other in flight, scoring occasional hits.

His _Wasp_'s left arm hung uselessly after the weapons struck. He had been lucky; the left arm contained nothing vital. The _Wolverine_ was mostly undamaged. It had more than triple his armor, and double his firepower.

Jump jets fired, lifting the _Wasp_ into the air. The move surprised the _Wolverine_ pilot, but not enough. The _Wolverine_ triggered its own jump jets and matched Roger's maneuver as he tried to circle around the _Wolverine_. Not even his mech's superior agility was enough, however.

The right arm autocannon/5's muzzle flashed while the mechs were still airborne. The _Wasp_ shook slightly, but Roger managed to set it down gently. He twisted his mech's torso fully to the right in an attempt to take full advantage of the machine's speed. Centering the _Wolverine_ in his sights, he loosed his weapons a second time. The green flash of his medium laser missed the _Wolverine_ by a fair margin, and only one SRM exploded against the machine's armor.

Roger watched the green lance that was the _Wolverine_'s laser strike his mech centerline, followed by four of six SRMs. First the head caved in as the torso holding it up exploded. Then the _Wasp_ stumbled as it ran, landing forward. Roger Lincoln was dead.


	2. Survivors

The encampment was hidden in the woods. With only four mechs, and slow-moving ones at that, it could take the Coral Vipers years to find them. If they even knew they were out there.

Eli worked on the _Marauder_ with what astechs he brought with him. There was easily another week until it was finished. During which time, the mech's would-be pilot needed to acquaint himself with the brute. Eli announced that he would return by evening.

He climbed into one of the civilian vehicles at their hidden camp. Two and a half hours later, he was back in the creatively named Capital City.

The city had one and a quarter million inhabitants. So far as cities went, it was a small one. It was also the largest city on the planet. His first stop was low-income housing. MechWarrior Kurt Beckett, the only AFFS mechwarrior on the planet, was hiding in one of the poorer neighborhood in Capital City.

He skillfully parallel-parked his vehicle – there were no others in the area – and took a look at the building. It was not made of ferro-crete, but brick. Even a light BattleMech could level it in a matter of seconds. Eli shook his head and stepped through the front door.

While building codes kept the apartments looking nice from the street, they did nothing to prevent the graffiti splattered all over the walls inside. While not from a wealthy family, he had never had to live in such a place.

Eli found the wooden staircase leading to the upper floor. The boards were heavily worn, and some were even unpainted. Most creaked as he made his way up. Upstairs, the walls were just as disgusting. He found apartment 2F and knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard. Eli cautiously opened the door to find a semi-automatic pistol pointed at his chest. When its wielder recognized Eli, he hid the gun in his jacket. "It's about time you showed up."

"Leftenant Beckett. Kurt," he corrected. "Rebbie is in a safe place." The techs had taken to calling Lincoln's _Marauder_ "Rebbie" because of its red/blue paint scheme. "Are you ready to go?"

Kurt nodded. He grabbed his duffel bag, which was leaning next to the door frame, and followed Eli to the car outside. Once Eli started up the car, Kurt asked his questions. "Where are our forces?"

Eli drove away from the curb and made his way down the street. "The 3rd Capital LI and 5th MI are in the woods. The 1st and 2nd were captured, as expected. Captain Marcus from the 3rd tells me the 4th LI was killed in the attack." Kurt closed his eyes.

Technically, Eli had been higher-ranking than Kurt, but the tech's skills did not make for an effective military leader. And the infantry were not a part of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. As the only available AFFS soldier, Governor/Colonel Lincoln awarded him with a field commission and ordered him to take control of the planet's garrison upon his death. And the Coral Vipers had been quick to announce Roger Lincoln's death.

The tech glanced over at Kurt. "There's nothing you could have done."

Instead of answering, Kurt opened his eyes and looked out the window. "Where are we going?" Instead of the suburbs he expected to see, the buildings looked considerably more grand and expensive than the apartment he had been staying in.

"Spaceport. A few days ago, I heard about a genius aerospace tech working aboard one of the dropships. Since the Vipers froze off-world traffic, I think it's worth seeing if he can help with Rebbie."

"Aerospace tech? That's a pretty different field from BattleMechs, isn't it?"

"Fusion is fusion. If we can't get the engine working, that _Marauder_ won't do us any good."

"Whatever you think needs to be done."

Xxxxx

The spaceport was not particularly grand. There was enough space for a few dropships, but nothing extravagant. As to be expected from an insignificant planet like the one they were on. Only one dropship was currently on-planet. Eli parked nearby and led Kurt to the terminal. "Anyone can get in," Eli explained, "but getting through there another matter." Kurt looked to where Eli pointed out the window, and saw a red and black _Crusader_ standing between the dropship and the terminal.

"They used to garrison here, right?" Eli nodded. "That's the only downside to mercenaries. They only work for you so long as you offer the biggest paycheck."

The eateries were filled with people wearing jumpsuits. Everyone there was either from the dropship or working for the mercenaries – except, of course, for Eli and Kurt. Eli picked out a man whose jumpsuit contained a large number of pockets.

"Excuse me," Eli said to the man.

The crewman glanced up. And up. Eli was a tall man with very broad shoulders. If he wanted to be, Eli could be very intimidating. But it wasn't in his nature. The crewman did his best to appear confident. "Yes?"

"You wouldn't know where we could find a tech named Wadsworth, would you?" The crewman involuntarily glanced at another table. Kurt followed his gaze to see a woman seated by herself.

"What do you want with Wadsworth?" asked another man at the table. Eli turned to Kurt for a cue, but he was missing. Eli saw him approaching the lone woman and assumed it was a MechWarrior's hormones.

"I may have a job for him." The seated crewmen claimed to have no idea where he was. Eli sighed and approached a second table, this time selected at random.

It was dinner time, Kurt realized. And here she was, the only person in the room sitting alone. Maybe it was because he hated being by himself, or maybe it was just hormones, but Kurt could not stand to see her there.

Her plate was half-finished, and the woman sat hugging herself. He started to remove his jacket and suddenly stopped himself. It would not do for her to discover his side-arm. "Do you want some company?" he asked her.

When she looked up from her plate, the woman did a double-take. Kurt smiled, flattered. It was a good sign. "I – I suppose."

Kurt sat down across from here. "Is the food terrible, or is the food terrible?" he asked, to break the ice. The woman shrugged. "I'm Kurt."

"Dana," she said, after a moment. He wished he could tell her that he was a MechWarrior, but there were mercenary guards nearby. That usually went a long way when it came to women. Another part of him didn't want her to know right away. He had no doubt that she would have the opportunity to learn more about him.

"If I had any money, I'd invite you to a more flavorful dinner. As it is, the only thing I can offer you would taste like military rations." Dana giggled. Of course, that was because he only had military rations.

She wanted to like him, but there was still a skeptical voice shouting in the back of her head. "And this is where you say my place or yours?"

Kurt scratched his sideburn. "I can't ask that question yet. I don't know you well enough." He glanced towards the guards. "And they're still here."

Dana growled. The noise surprised Kurt; it was definitely a growl. "I can't wait until those Drac mercs are kicked off the planet."

"Same here. Maybe you can help get rid of them."

Dana blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I hear the remnants of Davion's forces are looking for skilled techs."

"Really?" She had an eyebrow raised; her interest was peaked.

"One in particular, actually. Someone named Wadsworth."

Dana lowered both her eyebrows at the name. "You're putting me on."

"Why do you say that?"

"I know I'm talented, but I'm not _that_ good."

Kurt remembered that the other man had looked in her direction when Eli mentioned Wadsworth's name. Of course. Eli had just assumed it was a man. "I can't tell you exactly what work needs to be done, but my friend can." He looked around the room. Eli was standing in the middle of the room very frustrated. Kurt waved him over. "Dana, this is Eli Helm. Eli, meet Dana Wadsworth."

Realization lit in Eli's eyes. "Here you are," Eli said, a grin on his face. He joined them at the table. "_Miss_ Wadsworth, I'd like your help." From there, he went into technical jargon that Kurt had only passing knowledge of. Dana asked clarifying questions until she was satisfied.

"I assume these are BattleMechs you need fixed," she said, finally.

Eli gave a straight answer. "One, actually."

Dana's eyes widened. "I see." Then she looked over at Kurt. "Is he the MechWarrior?" Kurt nodded. "So young." Kurt looked her over; she was definitely gorgeous, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Probably in her mid-twenties. He decided not to take offense. "Sorry."

"Will you come with us?" Eli asked.

Dana closed her eyes to contemplate. A habit she shared with Kurt, Eli noted. She finally opened her eyes a few moments later, a smile on her face. "Yes."


	3. Wolf's Dragoons

Major Raanan sat in the Governor's office with his command staff. Colonel Wolf had chosen him for this mission because he knew the planet. An elite unit like his stationed to garrison a politically insignificant world for six months had been a thorough waste of time. Now they were to hold the planet again, this time for the Draconis Combine. At least until House forces arrived.

Personally, he thought it was over-kill. Four BattleMechs to destroy its old garrison of five infantry platoons and a 20-ton _Wasp_. Orders were orders. He missed the days of bidding for combat; it simplified things.

The Major was a freeborn warrior of the Clan Wolf. He saw battle against Clan Ghost Bear before he linked up with the Wolf's Dragoons some five years later. The pay was good, though he cared little for it. When he was strapped into his _Wolverine, _facing off against his unit's enemies. That was what he lived for. His lancemates were of similar caliber, all freeborn warriors of Clan Wolf.

Sergeant Cook was prattling about city logistics. While Raanan was the ranking representative from House Kurita, he was hardly qualified to run a city – much less a planet. Cook was able to handle everything in that regard. As the sergeant wound down, Raanan interrupted him.

"Still no sign of the _Marauder_, _quineg_? I don't want it causing trouble for us."

"Negative. I did find receipts for sold parts and a request form for a new BattleMech. They must have scrapped it."

Raanan considered. If he were in the same position, would he let his planet be guarded by only one BattleMech for any period of time? Even if a replacement garrison was due in one month's period. Probably not. But Governor Lincoln had never struck him as a strategic genius. The _surat_ probably knew as much about BattleMechs as Raanan did about ballet.

The sound of the office door slamming open made the men look up from their documents. One of the young astechs from the Dragoon's _Leopard_-class dropship stood panting in the doorway.

"Sir..."

Raanan looked up, "Yes, Private?"

"A mob has formed at the entrance of the starport. They are advancing on the merchant dropship and Sergeant Melton requests orders." Melton was assigned to guard the dropship in his _Crusader._

A sigh escaped Raanan's lips. "I should have expected this. Tell him to fire a warning shot. If they still approach, he is free to act as he chooses." The tech was shocked to hear his commander's words. He was one of those recruited from the Inner Sphere. No matter.

Xxxxx

MechWarrior Melton positioned his mech directly in front of the dropship's loading ramp. He could see the gathering of angered souls about half a klick out. He let out a volley of laser fire into the ferro-crete before the mob. They stopped in their tracks. The grin on Melton's face soon disappeared as the mob pushed forward once again. He wondered what it was that strengthened their resolve. Perhaps unbridled anger, perhaps something more complex. It did not matter, as he had enough firepower to turn them into pudding.

This time, he carefully aimed his mech's medium lasers. More than half the crowd was killed by the single attack. Some bodies simply ceased to be after being struck by the green light. Others were scorched beyond recognition. Several were halfway between the two states.


	4. Reaction

News of the starport massacre reached the Federated Suns camp on the following morning. One of the astechs still lived in Capital City and had witnessed the incident.

Major Raanan announced afterwards that those responsible were to be tried for Crimes Against Humanity, but many recognized the statement to be the farce that it was. The MechWarrior might be reprimanded for the act, but he was likely following orders. Wolf's Dragoons were known for their disciplined troops, and an elite unit like the Coral Vipers would be no exception.

Kurt Beckett was in the _Marauder_ cockpit, familiarizing himself with the layout. The mech's external microphones were running on a generator, so he heard the astech give his report on the situation in Capital City to Master Sergeant Helm. He also heard the reactions of the techs and astechs. Kurt keyed the external speakers. The indicator light flickered, but stayed on after a few seconds.

"Everyone, I'd like a moment of silence for the dropship crew." He placed his hands on the sides of the control panel. The people he had met in the terminal two days earlier flashed in his memory. Their smiles, despite the unhappy situation. Their good-natured grumbling. Even genuine annoyance. All killed before even getting close enough for the _Crusader_ pilot to find out what they were doing. "Thank you." Noise resumed outside. Instead of angered and shocked voices, it was the sound of technicians getting to work.

Someone knocked on the cockpit entrance. Kurt looked up from the controls and saw Dana halfway inside the BattleMech. "Can I come in?" she asked. A BattleMech was cramped under any circumstances, but the _Marauder_ was a particularly large mech. That meant it was spacious, so far as mech cockpits went. Kurt nodded.

Dana had to keep her head low to fit inside. She sat down in the small space between his control seat and the wall lining the cockpit. "If you and Eli hadn't recruited me, I'd be dead right now." She looked up at him. "I thought I was taking the more dangerous job." Kurt was mesmerized by the fire in her eyes. "Not just this planet. Davion has to win the War. The Dracs are tyrants that deserve to be overthrown. I'm putting my faith in you." There was an "or else" hidden in her tone.

Kurt looked out the forward window. "I assumed it was the mercenaries at fault. You're right; they're only following orders. I wouldn't put this past Kurita." He wondered for a moment how much his opinion came from propaganda. "When the Coral Vipers served Davion, the people loved them. Our enemy is the Dracs."

She looked at him as if to say, "Of course." "How are you going to win back the planet?"

Kurt smiled and unconsciously ran his fingers through her hair. The techs didn't let him touch anything, so his hands were unsullied. "That's for me to worry about. But we have at least twenty-eight days. I'm starting think we can make that time uncomfortable for the Drac stooges."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing specific." Kurt removed his hand from Dana's head and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's too bad we can't use Rebbie here. I can't wait to take her out for a spin."

"Mech jocks," Dana sighed out. "Better than lawyers." Kurt looked at her at that. "Trust me. Why'd you stop?" His expression turned confused. She brushed some hair back behind her ear. "You don't like my hair," she said in a quiet voice.

"Sorry. I don't think it's appropriate. You work for me, after all."

"I work for Eli," she pointed out.

"I'm not invincible. I know everyone assumes that MechWarriors feel like they are, but that's not true. Well, when we're up against BattleMechs it's not." Dana smirked. "The War is just beginning. Colonel Lincoln ... he wasn't a novice. If he can die, so can I."

"I understand," she said, surprising Kurt. "But I think I'd rather lose something I knew I was risking. Not like my crewmates." He suddenly could not look at her.

"So you want me to be your expendable boyfriend." She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Get back to work. I want to get Rebbie out of here before the Dracs find this little camp." She again tried to explain herself, but Kurt would have none of it. Dana left the cockpit feeling injured.

Kurt knew that wasn't what she meant. He was looking for an excuse not to get involved. In some ways, Dana was a lot more than he had ever hoped to find in a woman. It scared him, that he might fall in love.


	5. Thanks

Kurt spent much of his free time organizing guerilla-style raids against the Vipers' supply stores. They had no interest in stealing food, but missile and autocannon rounds meant less ammunition for the mercs to use. It also helped that Rebbie used the same autocannon rounds as the _Wolverine_.

The mercenaries suspected that the Davion resistance had a stockpile of stolen weapons somewhere in the wilderness, and they were right. Firearms, mech parts, vehicles. Anything Kurt's men could get their hands on.

At first, the storehouses were lightly defended. Taking what they needed was child's play. After a week, the _Crusader_ was placed on guard duty. Major Raanan must have thought starport patrol included too much decision-making, but killing raiders was just fine. Of course, the 65-ton war machine could hardly stay on patrol all day long. Kurt's men managed to succeed in the off-hours.

After two weeks and five successful raids, the mercenaries finally posted an appropriate defense. Heavy infantry and a BattleMech on standby. Kurt did not even attempt a sixth raid.

At the same time, the locals hardly welcomed the proxies for the Draconis Combine with open arms. Without any prompting from Kurt and his men, they did simpler things to cause mischief for the Coral Vipers. Like provide spoiled food for rations when they could get away with it, and cause as much traffic as possible when the mercs wanted to use the streets.

Roughly two weeks remained until the Night Paladins arrived. The Paladins were a mercenary unit slated to replace the Coral Vipers and bolster the AFFS garrison. They were already in-system, and probably knew the Vipers controlled the planet.

Secretly contacting them and coordinating an offensive was going to be a difficult task for Kurt. Assuming he could count on their loyalty; the man who had signed the mercenary unit's contract was now dead.

In the meantime, his platoon commanders were coming up with creative ways to harass the Vipers. It was up to him to approve their excursions, and he did allow a few of them. Most risked casualties. There would be time for them to die later, better to play it safe for now.

Kurt, Eli, and the two platoon commanders sat around the campfire that served as their command center. "I'm telling you sir, we can free most of the 1st, and maybe the 2nd, too," Captain O'Reilly was saying.

"And end up killing the 5th in the process," Captain Marcus countered. "Not to mention giving away our trump card, that _Marauder_." Kurt followed Marcus's finger as he pointed to the blue/red beauty parked nearby. There was something that had gone perfectly. She was a fully-functional, fully-armed MAD-3A _Marauder_. He had even taken her out for a test drive.

Eli caught the glint in Kurt's eye when the _Marauder_ was mentioned. "Be careful what you say, O'Reilly. Leftenant Beckett may take up any offer that lets him pilot Rebbie." The platoon commanders both laughed.

"I can never thank you enough for getting her fixed," Kurt said.

"Thank Wadsworth. I didn't think we'd get the electrical systems up for another month."

Wadsworth. The more he was around her, the more he saw himself falling in love with her. He looked into the campfire flame. In the dancing light, he saw a vision of the future. Himself about to run into battle against the Vipers, telling Dana that he wanted her to know that he loved her – just in case he didn't make it. That was the direction things were headed.

It was inevitable, Kurt realized. Just as he knew she would learn his identity when they first met, he knew he was going to fall in love with her. If he hadn't already. The question was, how would he tell her?

"I think I will." Kurt upped and left campfire.

Xxxxx

Dana was sitting near the astechs. While she was never particularly comfortable in large groups, she was not wholly antisocial. She sat near the astechs. Kurt approached from behind, unseen. Her body tensed in surprise when he gave into the irresistible urge to run his fingers through her hair.

"I thought this was 'inappropriate behavior,'" Dana snapped.

"That's a farce." He sat down on the ground next to her, and she turned her head to face him. Dana relaxed at the expression on his face. Kurt suspected she saw affection and desire. "In training, I've always been the one to charge the hill, put my life on the line to save others. Nobody ever called me a coward. Even when I acted like one."

"You're not a coward," she protested. "You're trying to save everyone on this planet. You're brave, and smart about it, too."

"Maybe. But I've been falling in love since I met you, and I ran from it." Shocked could not describe how Dana felt. She was dumbfounded. "I didn't want to tell you right before I ran off to die. You deserve to know, even if you don't want to help find out what that means." When she did not respond, he added, "Or if you don't feel the same way."

By this point, all the astechs were staring at the two of them. Kurt was totally oblivious. "I ... you deserve someone better." She shook her head. "I'm not good enough for you."

It was Kurt's turn to be dumbfounded. "So I haven't seen you smiling at me, secretly looking? Dana, don't make up excuses. If you're really not interested, say so. You owe me the truth. You owe yourself the truth."

His words struck home. Dana tried to get up and Kurt grabbed her arm. He needed to give her time, but was not prepared to wait. He did not want to die two weeks down the road with this unresolved. "I don't care if you think you deserve it. I'm falling in love with you, and I'm not going to let you walk away without knowing why."

Dana looked around at the astechs surrounding them. "What are you waiting for?" a female astech asked. Dana blinked at her. "Kiss him." She had to admit, part of her wanted to. A rather large part.

"I." A tear found its way to Dana's cheek. All she could think about was the lawyer who had deserted her after their first night together. The hand on her arm released its grip. Then arms wrapped around her and Dana was pulled into an embrace. "I'm scared you'll leave me." There. She said it.

"Death first." Never mind that it was a real possibility, in fact was the fear that had kept him at bay.

They stayed motionless for more than five minutes before they finally broke apart. "I love you, too," she said. "I'm tired. Let's finish this talk tomorrow." Kurt agreed, and left her for the evening after bidding her a good night's sleep.


	6. Tomorrow

O'Reilly was almost convinced that they could defeat the Coral Vipers before help arrived. The other members of the de facto war council managed to keep him in check, but Kurt worried that the platoon commander would strike out on his own if they did not plan something soon. Kurt forced all other considerations out of his mind – namely, Dana and the _Marauder_ – and focused on a map of Capital City.

There were several targets the Davion forces had not attempted to tackle, and Kurt knew that one of them would have to be their next objective. As he looked over the map, his eyes kept wandering to the same location: the starport. It was alternately guarded by the _Battlemaster_ and _Atlas_, each mech weighing in at 85 and 100 metric tons, respectively.

The planet only had one soldier from the Armed Forces of the Federated Sun, and that soldier was Leftenant Kurt Beckett. Everyone on the planet was his responsibility, and the Coral Vipers had already shown that they were willing to kill civilians. He had to do more than make the Vipers uncomfortable if the Night Paladins were to have any kind of hope at victory. Two militia platoons needed to do the impossible: bring down one of the two BattleMechs that defended the starport. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the map with no success. Kurt laughed as he discovered that poking a map could not destroy a mech.

"I never knew maps were so much fun," a friendly voice quipped. Dana sat down next to him and studied the map, conscious of the exact distance between them. She saw where his fingers indicated. "You want to blow up the starport?"

Kurt's eyes widened and he fell off the log that had served as a bench. He was aware of the amused gaze that followed him, but his mind was suddenly elsewhere.

His reaction was nearly as random as Dana's question. She felt obliged to explain. "I was just trying to figure out what you found so funny."

He was not really listening, his eyes closed. A vague plan started to coalesce. Her flippant remark was actually a potential course of action. They just needed something to cause a big enough boom, without too much collateral damage. Kurt sat up and gave Dana his full attention. "Are there any shuttles at the starport? Something that might have a fusion engine?"

"No shuttles." She closed her eyes. In her mind, Dana reviewed everything she could remember about the starport. Spare parts, ships, equipment. "The only fusion reactors in the area are on those merc BattleMechs."

"And the dropship," Kurt reminded her. His mind wandered from conventional military tactics to idle speculation. "I bet the dropship reactor can destroy an _Atlas_, if it overloaded at the right time. Too bad we can't get to it."

Dana furrowed her brow. "Not necessarily." Opening her eyes, she continued, "I used to work on that reactor. That means I know the system inside and out, including all the access codes."

Kurt remembered his last conversation with the two infantry captains. The destruction of a dropship would call a lot of attention. Even if neither the _Battlemaster_ or the _Atlas_ were damaged in the explosion, it might prove a suitable distraction to free those troops. "Come on," he ordered. "You're going to tell the others what you just told me."

With no thought towards last night's words of love, he gathered Eli and the militia officers for another discussion. O'Reilly was particularly enthusiastic to join in.

"What is this all about?" Captain Marcus demanded, once all were present.

At Kurt's urging, Dana repeated the information about the fusion reactor. The officers were thoughtful at the news, and

Marcus was the first to come up with a response. "How big an explosion are we talking about?" Dana supplied a rough estimate, measured in hundreds of meters. "How close do you have to be to do it?"

The tech took a moment to consider. They already had the equipment she needed for remote access. An encrypted radio signal could come from almost anywhere, line-of-sight be damned. The only problem was that the Vipers would quickly trace the signal. "If the transmitter is mounted on the back of a jeep, I can park right in front of the starport. You do have a jeep that can outrun the mechs, right?"

Jeeps were Marcus' department, along with the 5th Mobile Infantry. "My people can accommodate you," he assured her. "The real question is: what then? Even if the explosion disables one or both assault mechs, it won't be long before the Coral Vipers get them up and running."

"And they won't keep their heaviest firepower at the starport when the Paladins arrive," Eli pointed out. "Not when it really matters."

Everyone was thoughtful as they considered Eli's insight. The attack had to come before the Night Paladins. Kurt thought Captain O'Reilly's silence was conspicuous. He commented on it. "Captain, I'm surprised you haven't suggested attacking the prison."

The infantryman winked. "Just figuring out how to maximize damage, Leftenant." Though Kurt was technically of lower rank, militias always deferred to the AFFS. It was a strange position, but Kurt knew he was better trained and had a more thorough education than the local officer. "I bet we could take out that _Crusader_ in the process, if we plan it right."

Kurt did not know if he should have been impressed, or insulted O'Reilly took it for granted that they would try and free the 1st and 2nd Light Infantry platoons. "What do you mean?"

Captain O'Reilly already had the basic workings of a plan. The best-case scenario meant three destroyed Coral Viper BattleMechs, and Capital City in the hands of the Federated Suns before reinforcements ever arrived. No one gathered expected the best-case to happen, but it was enough to convince them that O'Reilly's proposal was worth the risk.


	7. Turning Point

It was dusk, and all color was sapped out of the world in favor of a more "artistic" sky. Insects buzzed past the mech cockpit, the pilot oblivious to their movements. The hatch was sealed shut, and with it all hope of them reaching their prey: Leftenant Kurt Beckett. His mind was elsewhere, on events that were currently taking place kilometers away from his position.

Training was nothing like the real thing, he dishearteningly discovered. The difference was not in the risk of life. It was the stress that caught him completely by surprise. Not the stress of fighting – his part in the battle had yet to fight, if ever – but the stress of waiting. Dana should have already sent the signal that destroyed the dropship, and he could only hope that explained the distant puff of smoke he had witnessed. Chances were that the Coral Vipers would not be able to trace the signal until long after Dana had escaped, but there was no way to know for sure. Kurt remembered his confession to her, and desperately hoped in that moment she still lived. If only they had continued their conversation the next day, instead of changing tracks back to the war.

Then Kurt felt guilty for worrying about Dana, when the 3rd and 5th infantry platoons were in the middle of an assault against an enemy-held prison. There were so many things that could go wrong, and only half of them had to do with Coral Viper BattleMech placement. The Vipers had infantry of their own, and a single armored platoon could result in the slaughter of the militia.

He tried to keep his mind off the first two phases of the plan. His task was to cover the militia's retreat, in case one of the BattleMechs managed to follow beyond the Capital City suburbs. The tree cover felt incredibly flimsy as Kurt watched the road. Even with his sensors off, he feared detection. If he could see them... Kurt shook his head; now was not the time to panic. He needed to concentrate.

Colonel Lincoln, the Federated Suns governor, had been a MechWarrior of some skill. Better than average, but not good enough to earn a place in a front-line unit. Kurt held no illusions about his own abilities; he was the shining example of mediocrity in the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns. If any of the mechs came – even the _Wolverine_ or _Crusader_, both of which were lighter than his _Marauder_ – Kurt would be even matched, at best. His only hope was to catch them by surprise.

Once again, Kurt had to force thoughts out of his head. He had to watch the road. If the enemy came, the survival of the Davion Resistance rested solely in Kurt's hands – along with the mech's throttle and control stick. The instruments gave him some level of comfort, and Kurt was able to focus once again.

"There," he whispered. He saw the trucks first. One hundred kilometers per hour bordered the safety limits on such a small road, but the drivers hardly had a choice in the matter. It was either risk death by accident, or risk death by BattleMech.

With a toggle on the control stick, Kurt zoomed in with the HUD. He counted all four trucks. A good sign. In the sky behind the trucks, he saw a black speck. A bad sign. Davion did not have any VTOLs in the area. It had to be a Coral Viper scout. If Kurt did not destroy it, then the VTOL would report their position to Major Raanan. Not to mention that the VTOL would probably notice a blue-and-red _Marauder_ standing in the middle of a small clump of trees.

Kurt slightly raised the mech's left arm and the PPC within. He had to destroy the VTOL in a single shot, or the whole mission was wasted. BattleMechs could be repaired, after all. On a whim, he aligned the second PPC as well. May be two shots.

The task of firing was taken out of Kurt's hands. A small while streak leapt from one of the trucks and struck the VTOL. An explosion and plume of smoke rose from the vehicle as it plummeted into the ground. There was another explosion, and Kurt briefly wondered if the pilot had ejected. He was too far to tell, either way.

When the BattleMech silhouette appeared in the distance, Kurt was glad he had held his fire. The enemy MechWarrior would have seen the blue PPC bolt, even from so far away.

The mech must have been too far to fire its missiles at the trucks. The only other explanation was that the MechWarrior did not want to waste its long-range missiles on infantry, but Kurt preferred to think that the lives of soldiers were worth more than a few dozen missiles. He estimated the mech's range at two kilometers.

The trucks reached him before the enemy mech was within weapons range. He was positive about the mech's identification by that point: a 65-ton _Crusader_. The _Crusader_ had comparable armor to his own mech, but relied much more heavily on missiles. Missiles were called missiles because they had a tendency to miss, or so he always claimed. Perhaps today would prove him right.

The _Crusader_ did not fire its LRMs at Kurt. It should have. Kurt would have. Then he reminded himself that the _Marauder_ was not only hidden, but most of the systems were switched off. He would not appear on the enemy's sensors until a range of 250 meters.

His sights were lined up with the _Crusader_'s center torso. No. He had a real opportunity to take aim, perhaps thirty full seconds. That was a rarity in BattleMech combat, and Kurt wanted to take full advantage. He aimed lower, at the mech's hips. A little bit of luck would knock out a leg, disorienting the enemy pilot enough to prevent a call for help. The moment he was sure the autocannon/5 was within range, Kurt squeezed the trigger and fired three deadly weapons at the Coral Viper BattleMech.

One PPC bolt struck the hip dead-on, and the running _Crusader_ stumbled. The second ineffectively struck the torso, the single most armored part of any BattleMech. The autocannon rounds exploded hirer on the _Crusader_, just below the cockpit.

Kurt kept his active sensors off. There were possibly three other mechs out there, and he did not want to call their attention. Not today. Even if it put him at a disadvantage against the _Crusader_.

The Coral Viper mech noticed Kurt immediately, but it did not fire its missiles. Instead, the _Crusader_ continued its charge until the rest of its weapons were in range. A dozen missiles launched from the mech's legs and lasers fired from the arms. Most of the weapons exploded against trees or missed everything altogether. A few missiles exploded against the Rebbie's armor, but only enough to be classified as a scratch.

All his weapons fired at once would cause enough heat to nearly cripple Rebbie the _Marauder_, and Kurt cared too much about the BattleMech to let that happen ten seconds into the battle. Instead, he fired his own medium lasers at the _Crusader_, along with the autocannon that had served him well with the first volley. The first laser beam did not compensate for the _Crusader_'s movement, but the second did. It struck the torso, along with another explosion of ammunition from the autocannon/5. Kurt tried to maintain his patience.

The _Crusader_ twisted its torso as it passed, the legs continuing to follow the trucks. It was almost as if the mech was more interested in the infantry than a real threat to its existence. Then Kurt realized its strategy. The _Crusader_ was actually circling his mech, while the pilot maintained a full run. A similar attempt by Kurt would certainly result in a fall; his estimation of the enemy MechWarrior went up a notch.

Kurt maneuvered Rebbie to keep the _Crusader_ in his sights. The weapon indicators were slow to light up green, and return fire came before he was ready. This time, the lasers seemed oblivious of the trees and struck the _Marauder_ head-on. Even though they dealt little damage, Kurt felt a rise of panic threaten to take hold. He was under fire, and an unlucky hit to the cockpit would result in his death. The missiles exploded against Rebbie's armor, also ineffectively.

This could not keep up. The _Crusader_ had not yet dealt serious damage, but it soon would. Perhaps another volley or two. Kurt had to respond decisively, and he did so without his medium lasers. Kurt aimed center-mass and the PPCs fired again.

Both of the particle projection cannons struck the _Crusader_'s right leg, the same leg that had been damaged previously. Where before armor was scraped away, now a hole was bored through to the other side. Sparks washed out of the wound like so much blood as fresh wires and myomer bundles were exposed. The artificial muscle failed and the BattleMech fell to the ground, its leg suddenly unable to keep up with the mech's movement. The _Crusader_'s arms snapped out in an effort to keep the mech from falling completely, but not in time.

No time or consideration was given for the MechWarrior's safety. Kurt carefully lined up his sights at the mech's freshly exposed back and fired the remainder of his weapons. Something exploded beyond the armor, and the mech went limp.

Kurt started to move his mech away from the _Crusader_ and turned back towards the road. There were no more mechs in sight.

This was one of several predicted outcomes of the operation, and the Davion rebels were prepared. A salvage truck hidden in the woods across the street broke through the tree line, even as Kurt fired his PPCs into the _Crusader_ one last time. There was no chance of the mech being operational, nor did Kurt hope to make use of the spare parts. The objective was to eliminate one Coral Viper BattleMech, and his forces had succeeded.


	8. Prisoner

News from the prison break came first. Phase Three had been Kurt's part of the plan, and the captured MechWarrior and salvaged _Crusader_ were the result. Phase Two, the prison break, was not so successful. The 3rd and 5th infantry platoons had made it into the prison, but only found a dozen or so militiamen. Either more troops were hidden elsewhere, or the rescued were the last survivors.

"The VTOL was on us before we even left the stockade," Captain Marcus recounted. "O'Reilly's men had a few missile launchers, but he wouldn't let them fire until he was sure the _Crusader_ was following. Rebbie was only there in case something went wrong, damn it. What if the pilot got a message off?"

Kurt estimated the mech duel to have lasted under a minute. He did not want to think what could happen if the Coral Vipers decided to initiate a manhunt for the _Marauder_. While the plan had anticipated the _Crusader_, O'Reilly's actions were still reckless. His main concern was what might have happened if the _Crusader_ fired its LRMs. "Eli can pull that information from the mech computer. Was there any sign of the other mechs?"

Marcus shook his head. "None. We didn't even see the _Crusader_ until it flanked us. Luckily, we were too fast for the MechWarrior to keep up."

That was bad news, so far as Kurt was concerned. It left him with questions that could only be answered with an interrogation, something he wanted to avoid at all costs. No one but a MechWarrior knew what questions to ask. Kurt would have to take part in the interrogation personally. The very thought made him shudder. "We will have to figure that out later. I want you to send out a couple of scouts to pick up Wadsworth and that jeep. If the mercs caught up with her, I want to know."

Marcus gave a crisp salute. He knew there were several reasons for Kurt's worry, the least of which was Dana Wadsworth's technical expertise.

When the infantry captain left, Kurt found Captain O'Reilly and questioned him on the evening's events. His version was similar to Captain Marcus', except for one important detail. "The VTOL kept its distance, probably because it thought we didn't have any weapons that could hit it. When the _Crusader_ came towards our flank, the VTOL pilot got sloppy and wandered too close. The first missile knocked it out."

"With perfect timing," Kurt added. "I was about to open fire when I saw your rockets." Kurt remembered his own impatience and agitation before the trucks and _Crusader_ arrived. Was O'Reilly's decision to hold fire the work of a wise unit commander, or was he simply good at excuses? Kurt was conflicted about which infantry captain to believe. Marcus' exasperation reminded Kurt too much of how he felt before his part in the battle began, so he decided not to reprimand Captain O'Reilly. "Your men did a fine job today, Captain."

There was a commotion on the other side of the camp. The Coral Vipers prisoner was struggling against his guards, a couple of O'Reilly's men. It looked like he was about to get away when two more soldiers with assault rifles pointed their weapons at him. The MechWarrior glared before his shoulders sagged in defeat. "To think you were once on our side," one of the infantrymen mocked. "You're trash, Melton."

Kurt was taken aback by the reminder of the enemy's identity. They were not faceless mercenaries or soldiers, but the planet's former protectors. And this MechWarrior, a man named Melton, had slaughtered dozens at the starport a few weeks earlier.

The same soldier who spoke moved to strike Melton with the butt of his rifle, but Captain O'Reilly cut off the attack with a barked command. When he was sure they would not beat the prisoner, he gave out orders. "At ease, men. He won't try to escape. Isn't that right, MechWarrior Melton?"

Melton looked at O'Reilly as if he were a dead bug stuck to the bottom of his boot. "How dare you presume anything about my behavior, _surat_? You fight with but a toy gun; you are inferior." The authoritative tone and the expression on Melton's face made a few of the soldiers whither. For a moment, they looked unsure of themselves, even with guns in the MechWarrior's direction. He had a confidence they could not fathom.

Kurt was able to hide his reaction. He had no doubt as to the better MechWarrior, and Melton knew as well. The captured MechWarrior wore a smug grin when Kurt approached. "You piloted the _Marauder_," said Melton. "You have the look of a MechWarrior."

"That's right." He looked into Melton's eyes and was surprised by what he saw. Confidence and respect for a fellow MechWarrior, with an underscore of hatred. Kurt assumed that the hatred was for the battle's outcome. In the meantime, there was something he wanted to know. Namely, how he had won. "Why didn't you use your LRMs against me?"

Melton laughed once, an almost forced sound that was more condescension than amusement. A few of the infantrymen clearly wanted to shoot Melton for the insult.

Before Kurt could ask anymore questions, Eli called him aside. "What is it?"

Eli was re-checking information from his notebook. He spoke distractedly. "I took a look at the ammunition stores on the _Crusader_ to see what we could use. The list is one hundred-thirty machinegun rounds and twenty-three SRMs."

Kurt started. "That can't be right. How much ammo would a _Crusader_ usually carry?"

Eli pointed to a spot on the notebook. "Two hundred machinegun rounds, ninety SRMs, and two hundred-forty LRMs. It's possible our raids mean the mercs are short on weapons, but the Coral Vipers are part of Wolf's Dragoons. They have a better supply chain than some Davion regiments."

"That doesn't sound good." If the ammunition had been destroyed in the fight, then the ensuing chain-reaction would have all but destroyed the _Crusader_. Either the mech did not have the ammo to begin with, or the MechWarrior had used it elsewhere. After the incident at the starport, Kurt was very afraid.

"Captain O'Reilly!" The militia officer came towards the AFFS Leftenant. "I'm putting you in charge of the prisoner. Make sure he's well-treated. I plan on returning him to Wolf's Dragoons when this is all over, and I don't want to have the most feared mercenaries in the Inner Sphere as my enemy."

O'Reilly held up a hand. "Say no more, sir. We're of similar minds. He will be safe if you want to ask him anymore questions."

Kurt was not sure O'Reilly really did understand, but his orders were going to be followed. They always were. Eli's information meant that an interrogation could be avoided, at least for the time being. If the _Crusader_ released its weapons on Capital City, they would hear about it all too soon.


	9. Sherwood Forest

Word came over the course of several days. More than just the militia had fought against the Coral Vipers on the day of the jail break. A group of Capital City's inhabitants had decided to take up the fight on their own, with a cache of weapons stolen while Kurt's infantry distracted the Vipers with another raid. Rumor had it that the other combat group was led by a militia deserter, some corporal that Captain O'Reilly had known in passing.

When the dropship exploded, the Corporal decided that it was his chance to strike at the mercs. He led a detachment of untrained civilians, each given assault rifles or rocket launchers that they barely knew how to use, and taken them right to the Coral Vipers headquarters. That was where MechWarrior Melton had used his ammunition. The Corporal's "soldiers" were slaughtered by the _Crusader_ and _Wolverine_ before the mercs even noticed the prison attack. Then, when word reached the massive BattleMechs, their first task had been to destroy the second prison, where the remaining militiamen were held.

Kurt wanted to scream at the Corporal's idiocy. All those people were dead for no reason, and Major Raanan would assume that the Corporal was working with whoever had been giving the Coral Vipers so much trouble. The result was that Kurt's forces appeared much more ruthless than they were, and Kurt was unsure how that would pan out in the future. All he knew was that Dana's jeep had not been found, and the Corporal was to blame.

One week remained until the Night Paladins hit planetside. Even without the _Crusader_, they were outclassed by the Coral Vipers in both skill and raw tonnage. The _Atlas_ and _Battlemaster_ had both been damaged in the dropship explosion, but there was no way to know just how much. Except, perhaps, with an outright attack. It was time to evaluate priorities.

Most planets in the Federated Suns had vegetation derived from Western Europe back on Earth, and the forest that served as home to the Davion rebels was no exception. It was called the Outer Sherwood, a clear indication of House Davion's ties to the British Isles.

Eli Helm sat down on a log not far from Kurt, a lit cigar in hand. He took a long puff to savor the flavor, rather than feed his nicotine addiction. There was chewing gum for the addiction. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Eli asked, almost reading his mind. "It's hard to stay angry at the Dracs when you're spending time with nature."

"It's not so much the woods," Kurt corrected, "as the night. My parents were engineers on a _Merchant_-class dropship, so I was in space more often than planetside. The trees block out the stars, but the darkness ... I kind of like it."

Eli tried to appreciate the dark, but all he saw were things to fear. It was the trees he took comfort in. Being connected to the Natural World. He thought a little more about Kurt's words.

"We need to find Dana Wadsworth," Kurt said, rather suddenly. "She knows more about dropships and communications than any of your crew. We need her to contact the Night Paladins dropship."

"Do we even know that the dropship is still coming? Or that the Night Paladins are still loyal?"

Kurt did not like those questions, so he did the only reasonable thing: he ignored them. "The militia hasn't had any luck finding her yet. Do you have any ideas?"

"Just two," Eli muttered, wondering about ulterior motives. He, along with the rest of the rebels, knew about Kurt's pseudo-relationship with Dana. He had been sure that it was just hormones at first, but if there was more to it ... then there would be no way to dissuade the MechWarrior. "Either she was captured, or she is hiding."

Kurt shook his head. "If she was in hiding, she would have found a way to contact us by now. It has been too long."

"Then the mercs have her," was the obvious response.

"No. They had no way of knowing that she was even there until after the fighting, and she had plenty of time to get out of there. That leaves one alternative."

Eli did not say what he was thinking, that she had been killed in crossfire.

"She was captured, just not by the mercs. The civilian resistance has her."

The technician tried his best not to scoff at the suggestion. He failed. "What in the Sphere gave you that idea? Leftenant, we don't even know if there are any of the Corporal's fighters left. For all we know, Wadsworth was trapped in the middle of their assault and gunned down. It makes more sense than..." He managed to stop himself, but not in time. Not that it mattered. Kurt's expression had grown more confident, as if the outrageousness of his claim was proof.

"The Coral Vipers would have announced if they had any prisoners from the assault," Kurt reasoned. "This isn't the Sherwood Forest of legend, and 'Sheriff Raanan,' or whatever his name is, isn't our only enemy. So long as they act on their own, the Corporal's little army is just as dangerous as the mercenaries."

The tech was still not convinced by Kurt's logic. "What makes you think the Corporal is still alive? For all we know, he was killed the day of the attack."

"Lack of evidence." Kurt recognized the flimsiness of his excuse, but there was nothing else. He needed to believe that Dana was alive, and this was the only way he could conceive the possibility. Either that, or she was holed up with her old shipmates ... except all her friends had been killed in the Starport Massacre. He could think of no other way.

Before Eli could point out the flaws in Kurt's argument, the MechWarrior turned back to camp and left the tech alone in the wilderness. Eli felt a pang of regret as he watched the MechWarrior leave, but none of it had to do with the previous conversation. He wished he had talked Dana out of going personally, to spare Kurt the sense of loss. A civilian tech did not belong on the front lines of any war. She was working directly for Eli, and that made her fate his responsibility. Eli briefly wondered if Kurt felt the same way, and surmised the Leftenant probably did.

There was another question, one Eli would never ask Kurt Beckett. Did he blame himself for the Corporal's actions? Eli hoped not. Inexperienced officers took failure especially hard. If Kurt continually blamed himself for everything, the AFFS would lose a valuable officer.


End file.
